President Eyring Taught: “There seems to be no end to the Savior’s desire to lead us to safety. And there is constancy in the way He shows us the path. He calls by more than one means so that it will reach those willing to accept it. And those means always include sending the message by the mouths of His prophets, whenever people have qualified to have the prophets of God among them. Those authorized servants are always charged with warning the people, telling them the way to safety” (“Finding Safety in Counsel,” Ensign, May 1997, 24).
What is my initial understanding or ability? (assessment)"How has listening to or studying a general conference talk with a student in mind made a difference in your teaching?"
What is it and why is it important? (Define):
A teacher can listen to general conference for herself and her students. When a teacher listens to General conference for her students, she is thinking about challenges her students have, concerns, questions, or trials they are facing. She may be thinking of one student or the general class. A teacher who does this, simply approaches general conference with this question: “What will I learn today from the Prophets that will help _______ (student name) or my class?” As the teacher records lessons and impressions for her students, the love she has for them will increase and her ability to guide them toward the Savior will also increase.
Who or what provides a good illustration of this? (Model):
In preparation for General Conference, a teacher decided to watch for answers to address concerns of the students in his class. The general feeling in his class was that students are afraid of the future. As he watched general conference, he prayerfully sought and recorded impressions he had relating to this concern. In his subsequent study of the talks in the Liahona, he continued to search for answers that would help him point his students in the right direction when they courageously shared their concerns in class.
How can I practice using this skill or applying this principle? (Practice):
1. Go to a general conference talk from President Nelson. Review his talk with the general concern of the students in your class in your mind. Ask the question: “What will I learn from the Prophet that will help my class today?” Record any impressions that come as you consider ways to help them?
2. Try this again, this time choose a different talk with the concern of one specific student in mind. Ask the question: “What will I learn today from the Prophets that will help _______ (insert student name)?” Record impressions as they come to you.
Ponder or discuss:
What did you learn or experience as you did this? Why would this be a good practice as you seek to help your students become more converted to Jesus Christ?
Incorporate:
As you approach general conference sessions this coming week, seek to adopt this skill. Think of your students generally or personally as you listen to or review the conference talks. Record your impressions and use those impressions during class as circumstances allow.
What More?:
D&C 1:38 "....my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same."
“Our efforts to teach do not begin with preparing a lesson or considering how it might be delivered or even reviewing the curriculum. Our efforts to teach do begin ad fontes, or ‘at the fountains.’ There is no better preparation for teaching than, as President Marion G. Romney said, drinking deeply from the spring right where the water comes out of the ground. If we want to teach the scriptures with power, if we want our students to feel the truth and importance of a passage, it surely must begin with a fresh, personal excitement inside ourselves.” (R. Kelly Haws (“First Seek to Obtain My Word,” [S&I Annual Training Broadcast, Aug. 4, 2015])
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